Suboxone Abuse (Page 10)
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My son has been on suboxone for over 1 year now. He was a herion addict for over 12 years. Been clean off and on during that time. I have seen a personality change in him which is almost intolerable. It is like he is fine one minute and then goes off the wall the next. Has anyone who has been on suboxon or knows someone who has been seen a personality change.

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Maybes he was using heroin to self medicate becauae he's insane. And now ur seeing the real him. Haha

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My son was alcohol addicted-- for years nothing worked until suboxone which his psychiatrist decided to try. Unfortunatey, although he is no longer an alcoholic, he is also not functioning. He has a master's degree in a highly technical field in which he was very good until alcohol got the best of him. Suboxone was like a miracle for awhile--no more drinking . However, now he has lost his drive and ambition. He sounds like one of the articles above: he rambles on and on. He has always been too focused, but now he cannot pull himself away from the computer. He must find out about every detail and look at every option when shopping on line or doing any type of research. Anything he starts to explain which should take a few sentences turns into a 20-min. or more lecture. He is hours late due to his inability to withdraw from that in which he is involved. He cannot just do a, b, c which will guarantee a desired result. He must over-think and over-analize every component. Thus, he has become disabled.

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I am curious, you said "Suboxone can be taken for numerous of years and two days later with the help of your doctor you can be weened off of it with little to no withdrawals. The only withdrawals I suffered when I got off Suboxone the first time was cold sweats." I was on 3 8mg tablets for almost 2 years, then weened down over a month and jumped off. My withdraws lasted seven days, I had NO sleep, muscle aches so bad I had to lay in the hotub literally all night and was freezing and couldn't go outside in 100 degree weather because I was so cold. I also sweated so profusely, I had to change clothes 5 times a day. Can you please give me tips or explain to me how in 2 days you experienced practically no withdraw symptoms? I understand were you are coming from in your opinion. Suboxone is like a double edged sword and I am just frustrated at my inability to get off at this point without going through withdrawals longer, stronger, more intense than heroin and oxys. I would love any advice you have. Thanks, Nicole.

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I am going to say this for all those who are posting and reading. Suboxone like anything else in this world can be abused. You can abuse foods you can abuse the consumption of even water. If your taking Suboxone like it is prescribed it can and will help you to maintain a healthy sober lifestyle. Unlike methadone; which is used for opioid addiction as well as pain and likely your never going to get off of it, Suboxone can be taken for numerous of years and two days later with the help of your doctor you can be weened off of it with little to no withdrawals. The only withdrawals I suffered when I got off Suboxone the first time was cold sweats. Unlike when I was taking methadone and suffered withdrawals a lot worse than trying to kick heroin. I am currently prescribed Suboxone as a pain regimen. I am on two 8mg Suboxone strips a day. And yes people; Suboxone helps with pain. People said the same thing about methadone and methadose when it first came out. That it was only used for opioid addiction. There have been numerous of studies on the pros and cons of using Suboxone and the pros outweigh the cons by a very large margin. Vicodin= opioid= pain relief ; Suboxone= opioid = pain relief. So don't listen to anyone that tells you that Suboxone is not used to treat pain. The reason some doctors will say no it doesn't help with pain is because they make more money prescribing Suboxone for addiction benefits than they do prescribing Suboxone for pain. I get so sick and tired of hearing people say doctors are just trading one drug for another. This is not true. I tell you what. You take 8mg of Suboxone which is equivalent to 100-200mg of OxyCodone (better known as oxycontin) and see if you can tell a difference. I bet you can. The reason for this is because Suboxone is not a drug that was made to get you high or give you that perfect feeling of euphoria like every other opioid on the market or even in the street. It is meant to block strong opioids like heroin, Vicodin, Percocet, etc. but also provide relief from pain and withdrawals. So don't tell me that doctors are just trading one drug for another. I would be dead right now had it not been for the doctors that taught me about Suboxone. I was taking over 160mg of OxyContin each day for pain and was badly addicted. It was taking more and more to just get a slight relief of pain in my lower back. It wasn't till my doctor told me about Suboxone, which I was really hesitant to switch, that I finally found not only pain relief but something I can go days without taking and though I may be in pain from my back, I am not going through withdrawals. And as you can see I am also a firefighter, I save lives each and everyday as well as put my life on the line to save others and their belongings. I am medically trained and I am a certified First Responder as well as EMT. So again would you rather me come save your life on 200mg of OxyContin or one 8mg Suboxone?

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does anyone know if you take suboxne if other days you can take heroin

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I could not agree with you more. The mass of many doctor's are simply trading street addictions of opiates/heroin/pain killers in for medications that the drug companies and doctor's can make money off of. Lot's of money, I may add. As many insurance companies do not cover this drug, and it runs about $8/pill and they are sometimes prescribing 2-4 pills a day. That is between $240-$1000 per month! About as much as a drug addiction habit. These treatments are STILL addictive and still opiates!! Instead of having a drug dealer, your doctor is now your dealer. These doctor's fail to inform their patients that you if/when you try and get off the "helpful" and "life changing" Buprenorphine drugs such as Suboxone and Subutex, you will experience a detox and painful withdrawal symptoms LONGER and much more INTENSE than the original drug of choice. Because Suboxone/Subutex have a longer half life, and are MUCH stronger than pain killers such as heroin and Vicodin, when you try and cut the cord off this addicting drug, you are in for one long and arduous ride. Not to mention the terrible side effects of these drugs. People call it a "Miracle Drug" when they first are educated slightly about it, and once they are ready to get off, they realize the trap that they are in. You do not treat drug addiction with another similar drug- the whole point is to get off. Anyhow, I just want people who are researching this to be aware and do your thorough research on both sides. Drug addiction has ruined many lives, but so has this replacement drug. The longer you are on this drug, the harder and stronger your detox. We are talking months of struggles. This medicine was supposed to help with detox symptoms and used only up to 7 days, and now they are prescribing it for lifetimes. Find a doctor out there who really cares and will be honest about these drugs. I have been struggling to get off the suboxone for 2 years now. My family has noticed (as have I) a complete personality change. It makes me jittery, nervous, fidgety, I ramble on and on, I have practically no memory, and for some reason it makes me compulsive. Like shopping, I have this compelling thing to look at each and every item at a store or on a website. I have always loved fashion, but this is just crazy and is driving my sister and best friends insane. They say it is hard to be around me because I can't focus on a conversation and I tell them the same things over and over and a story that should take me five minutes to tell, turns into twenty. What a nightmare. I went to rehab to get OFF drugs, not get addicted to another. I want to file a lawsuit against this drug company. This is hell.

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Suboxone is an opioid and it will make you tired. This is one of the side effects from Suboxone but this will subside in time. If you are still having mental thoughts of wanting to use my opinion would be to get yourself a sponsor so you have someone that has been through the same thing as you and can give yo advice. You could also talk with a therapist or go to a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting. I found all of these to help me out when I was struggling with addiction. I am glad you switched from Methadone to Suboxone. It is much safer and you will not have to be on it the rest of your life. Also; Suboxone should help subside your cravings and if what you are taking a day isn't helping than talk to the prescribing doctor and let them know so they can re-evaluate your dosage. Do not increase your dose on your own as this can cause serious health complications. Also; if you haven't been on the dosage your currently taking now that long than give it a few weeks and see if it gets better. Suboxone will help with withdrawal symptoms within 15 to 30 minutes after taking it but can take up to 3 to 5 weeks to help with mental cravings. One other thing; if you are taking the 8mg pill form of Suboxone; should look like an orange octagon with a cross on one side; than talk with your doctor about switching you to the 8mg Suboxone Strip. Much easier to take, less of a bad taste, and works much better. Now this form of Suboxone is stronger than the pill due to the saliva to medicine ration. The pill creates a lot of saliva which dilutes a lot of the medicine. The strip only produces enough saliva to dissolve the strip and that's it. The strip will also work a lot faster than the pill form. But please get yourself a Sponsor so you have someone to help you go through this. Remember addiction is not something you want to go through alone. I really hope this helps you out.

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I was on methadone over 25yrs now in my 60s I made the choice to try suboxone and try to change my life 8mg in the morn and maybe 4 at nite if needed but its only been a week very tired all the time some I don't want the meth any more but still have thoughts of getting high on herion what can I do here down the road take more suboxone.

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Some signs of heroin addiction are; mood swings- they can go from depressed, no energy, angry to feeling alive, to much energy, and happy. Depending on their method of usage you can notice various other symptoms. With inhalation this will effect their lungs causing them to cough all the time. With shooting the tale-tale signs are you should be able to see track marks on their body. If you see your son wear long sleeve shirts on a hot summer day it's probably because he is trying to cover the track marks up. Now some users are smart and they shoot-up in places that you can't see with the naked eye; i.e. toes, upper thigh, I have even none users to shoot directly into the vein up under their eye. If your son is working then you will see his finances slowly dwindle away and have nothing to show for it. He will begin to lie, cheat, and steal just to get his fix. Now know, this is not the son you gave birth too. This is a whole different person. Addiction is very big all over the world and has ruined many of lives. Addiction is genetic, it is a disease, but it can be prevented and helped. Best thing to do is let your son know you are there for him. Nothing you do or say will get him to stop. He will only stop when he reaches rock bottom. Now there are steps you can take to help this process. I cold hardly believe you should attend AL-ANON Meetings. They will provide you with the necessary tools to cope with this as well as teach you how not to be the co-dependent. By doing anything for your son while he is using you are basically telling him it's okay with you to use. I know this is a hard process to undertake and this is not coming from someone that only read about Addiction in books but from someone that has lived that life for many years until I reached my rock bottom. Now I understand you did not say he was using heroin, but I thought I would just give a little bit of advice just in-case. You can never be to cautious when it comes to addiction. If your son is living in your home than you have every right to search his room, his belongings, whatever it takes to make you feel at ease. He will get angry with you for doing this and try to make you feel down for doing this but ask yourself. Would you rather have your son be angry with you for searching his belongings and room, or not have your son at all. This is the cold hard reality when it comes to addiction. In America a lone some 600,000 people in the United States are addicted to heroin! According to the drug project and Journal of American Medical Association, 900,000 Americans die a year from substance abuse! That's more than the population of Jacksonville, Florida which is a little over 800,000. I do recommend Suboxone as a recovery option. Methadone is not big on my list because it's nothing but a synthetic form of heroin and many doctors and pharmacist will tell you that Methadone is stronger than Heroin. Plus once you start a Methadone treatment program it is very rare that you ever come off of Methadone. Suboxone is widely used in the treatment of opioid addiction and in order to be prescribed it you have to attend an out patient clinic where you will receive psychiatric help, as well as see a clinical physician every time you go to get your Suboxone. Another good reason to use Suboxone is the withdrawals are meek meaning more than likely if being prescribed Suboxone by a licensed trained doctor; the doctor will put him on the right dosage and gradually take him off the medication when he is ready. I myself was prescribed Suboxone for opioid addiction and I am now still currently taking Suboxone for chronic pain; and some people will tell you that Suboxone is not used for pain but it is. Suboxone has been studied by many doctors, scientist, etc and has been found in clinical studies to help chronic pain suffers. Suboxone comes in a pill form, as a strip, also comes in liquid that hospitals use for pain, and it comes as a patch for those who suffer from pain 24hrs a day. Talk with your son and a doctor to find the right dosage and form for him. I hope this helps you out and remember your only as strong as you let yourself be. This burden is not yours alone and there is help out there.

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i agree i have a daughter whos been in and out of rehabs says shes on soboxne now but i see changes in her every other day not shure what she is doing what are the symptons of when your son is on heroin

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Yes, the sweating part is a side effect. As far as her other symptoms like the way her eyes look and focusing, not too sure, sounds like she may be taking more than prescribed.

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Im trying to figure out what my mom is on. She is always acting so strange. She says shes only taking sub but im not fully convinced. Her eyes always look strange, she is always sweating, fidgeting and cant seem to pay attention. Can sub cause these symptoms?

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Hi my name is derrick and I have been on suboxone for two years now.I can tell you one thing every body is different .For me subs work I am in consrtuction and have had several surgeries and over the matter of months I was addicted to pain meds never once in my life did I use heroin.after my wounds healed I found myself buying pain meds of the streets and then my friend told me about methadone so I tried it it got me higher then the pain meds so I stopped treatment another couple years went by of buying pain meds and then I heard about suboxone it was the best day of my life besides my kids being born.I bought 5 eight milagram suboxone and it lasted all week .fifty bucks for the week instead of fifty or more a day. To get to the point its all about choices either you want to succeed in life or you don't I realized that with the subs I could do everyday life and it was bareable I do agree it is one fix for another but at least its better for your health and not as expensive.plus I don't feel like veal all the time.I am scared the day I have to come off because I don't want to go down the pain med road again but every day that goes on I am making better choices and that's what really matters is now not a year or two from now I can worry about that when the time comes.

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I can tell you from 3 years of experience with Suboxone that Suboxone does not cause mood swings. However suboxone has caused people going through withdrawals that have a very bad attitude to seem to lighten up due to the fact that suboxone helps reduce if not eliminate the withdrawal symptoms. If your son is having mood swings it is most likely caused by taking suboxone either the wrong way or because he is trying to take something else while taking the suboxone which will cause very bad withdrawals. Suboxone is a very strong antagonist as well as an opoid. It attaches strongly to the brains opoid receptors and has a very long half-life. It would take a deadly amount of another opoid to remove the suboxone from the brains receptors. In my opinion I would watch your son take the suboxone and monitor him with urine drug screening test to make sure he is only taking the suboxone. To give you an example on how strong suboxone is; 8mg Suboxone IV/IM (intravenous/intramuscular) equals 200mg Methadone IV/IM(intravenous/intramuscular) or 8mg Suboxone PO (by mouth) equals 400mg Methadone PO (by mouth) *This is advice and should be taken only as advice.*Please consult a licensed physician for more information.*

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Catherine,
I do know what it is like to stop suboxone and what it is like. First, do not stop taking it cold turkey. Your physician will need to bring you down off slowly. Decreasing your dose either weekly or every two weeks depending on how well you do without feeling any withdrawal symptoms in between dose changes. This will also depend on how high of a dose you are on now. My doctor in the past dropped me down in the amount I was taking too quickly and I did feel the effects. My advice would be to ask for a slow taper. It may take some time and adjustments but if done correctly for you as an individual (everyone is different) you will fell little to no withdrawal effects. If you do feel anything it will be minor in comparison to stopping all at once. What you could possible feel is, fatigue and the need to yawn constantly, chill bumps, cold, and possibly a little depression. All very minor. If you stop on your own cold turkey the withdrawls are pretty bad. I hope this helps. I am a nurse as well as an addict but in no way am I 100% sure what you may experience. Everyone experiences the effects of coming off medications like these differently. This was just my experience. I hope you get through this with little difficulty and pray for your recovery. Let me know if you want to know anything else I may be able to answer. I have a long history with this medication for myself and if I can help another addict it is the least I can do. Best wishes.

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hi...i do believe they can live a clean and sober life when they ae ready...i speak from a family of addicts...i have two sisters and we all have been addicted to something in our life...but now my older sister is clean..drinks occasionally but takes meds for bipolar...my younger sister is a recovering addict and had been clean for over ten years...me on the other hand had slipped back into my addiction due to a divorce and pressures...i am on suboxone now so i dont take prescription pain meds like i did for years...it helps with my cravings and withdrawals but not with the mental part...i am seeking therapy for those issues...i do believe with suboxone and intense therapy he has a chance but he has to want to deal with the emotional part not just the physical part....my heart goes out to you cause i know what we put our mother thru...best of luck.....take care of yourself too!!!

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hi...my story is so like yours...sister and all but my sister is the clean one now and i am on the suboxone...she judges me for being on it and cant understand why i cant just quit everything....i want to stop taking suboxone but my fear is going thru the withdrawal systems and having to go to work and school feeling that way...when i dont take my suboxone i can start to feel sick and real emotional...is that normal to start to be depressed?? how long do the withdrawal symptoms last once u stop taking it...do u know???

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I am right there with u...I am a single mother of three and got addicted to pain meds after my hysterectomy and tried stopping but with my divorce piled on many difficult emotions i numbed with medicine...i tried methadone for a few months but too many people judged me for that so its more secretly to be on suboxone and to me i feel it is not as habit forming than methadone...i might be wrong...i do want to get off suboxine soon but how do i do it without going thru those horrible withdrawal symptoms...i am scared of my body hurting but i am emotionally ready to get off...any advice??

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Marquetta, if you don't mind me asking, what dose are you on and how many are you supposed to take a day? Does your doctor give you a months supply at a time with refills to last 3 months? Just wondering. Not sure if that is even legal. My dose is actually high. I'm on 8mg/2mg tablets, take 3 a day and he writes my script for 90 with 2 refills. I only see him every 3 months. You?

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Debbie ur so right and I'm on sub I'm just giving up one drug for the next

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